lvi, 262 pages : 25 cm

Richard S. Nishimoto was detained at the Colorado River Relocation Center near Parker, Arizona, the camp known as Poston. There he was chosen to participate in the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study, a University of California - sponsored, systematic attempt to document life inside the camps. Inside an American Concentration Camp presents an autobiographical letter and three never-before-published reports written for that research project that document key aspects of daily life at Poston. These accounts, compelling for their immediacy and attention to detail, examine work, leisure, and Japanese American resistance to the policies of the War Relocation Authority. Nishimoto documents the subtle and diverse ways that residents of the camp resisted authority, whether by the showing of a flag or by a deliberate slowdown of their labor. Of particular interest are Nishimoto's accounts of the importance of gambling among Japanese Americans and of the power politics between first- and second-generation Japanese Americans in the camp. Born in Japan and educated at Stanford University, Nishimoto was bilingual and bicultural. That fact, along with Nishimoto's unique position as a resident, leader, and official observer of the camp, give his work an unparalleled perspective, allowing him to reveal the complex layering of ethnic identity within the camp. An introduction and commentary by anthropologist Lane Ryo Hirabayashi explore the significance of Nishimoto's writings and place them in their historical context. Interviews with surviving members of Nishimoto's family enable Hirabayashi to offer a fuller portrait of Nishimoto himself

Includes bibliographical references and index

Introduction: Why Read Nishimoto? -- Nishimoto's Letter to Dr. Alexander M. Leighton, November 1, 1942 -- Nishimoto's Report on the Firebreak Gang -- Nishimoto's Report on Gambling at Poston -- Nishimoto's Study of the All Center Conference

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